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REVIEWER- GEd 103-FINALS

PART I: PROSE
Noli Me Tangere & El Filibusterismo
-these works of fiction expressed the theme of Philippine nationalism in a most profound and
dramatic manner.
Noli Me Tangere
1888 - Year of difficulties of Rizal.
-he had no money
-his health was failing
-Noli Me Tangere was published.
Symbols in the cover of Noli & their meanings
 Cross – Sufferings
 Pomelo blossom and Laurel leaves – honor and fidelity
 Silhouette of a Filipino – Maria Clara
 Burning torch – rage and passion
 Sunflowers – enlightenment
 Bamboo stalks that were cut down but grew back – resilience
 A man in a cassock with hairy feet – priests using religion in a dirty way
 Chains – slavery
 Whips – cruelties
 Helmet of the Guardia civil – arrogance of those in authority
Uncle Tomb’s Cabin - a story, became his inspiration in writing his novel. The author of this
book is Harriet Beecher Stowe.
Dr. Maximo Viola - a Filipino who funded Noli Me Tangere and he was the first person who
appreciates the novel.
March 21, 1887 – Noli Me Tangere came off the press and with appreciation to Viola.
Oppositors of Noli
1. General Jose de Salamanca- April 1, 1888
2. Sr. Fernando Vida- June 11 formerly occupied a high position in the Spanish Government
in the Philippines
3. Vicente Barrantes- who fiercely attack it.
The Defenders of Noli
1. Marcelo H. del Pilar
2. Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor
3. Graciano Lopez Jaena
4. Mariano Ponce
5. Other Filipino Reformist
Spaniard Defenders
1. Father Sanchez- Rizal’s favorite teacher at the Ateneo
2. Don Segusmundo Moret- former Minister of the Crown
3. Dr. Miguel Morayta- historian and an old friend and professor Blumentritt, scholar and
educator and Rizal’s best friend
4. Rev. Fr. Vicente Garcia – a Filipino Catholic priest-scholar, a theologian of the Manila
Cathedral and a Tagalog translator of the famous Imitation of Christ by Thomas Kempis.
Under the pen name Justo Desiderio Magalang he wrote a defense of the novel published
in Singapore.
 None of Rizal’s writings has had a more tremendous effect on the Filipino people than
his two novels that courageously criticized Philippine life during the 19th century.
 The profundity of these two novels has made Rizal known all over this world as the
“Foremost Asian Novelist”.
 He boldly spoke against the Spanish colonial exploitation and he agitated for political and
social reforms.
 Rizal paid dearly with his life leaving behind a conscious people aware of what they had
to do.
 The alert reader today will if find Noli and El Fili delightful, if somewhat poignant
comedies of manners.
 The reader will find the novels irreverent at times and out spokenly anti-clerical for
fiction of the 19th century, but they written to present an anarchy of unbridled greed
existing in the country.
 Rizal’s novels are more meaningfully studied as political satires for his reform
propaganda.
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 To the Filipino reader who under stands the historical background of the novels, Rizal
traced the delicate portrait of a people faced with social problems and enigmas.
 Rizal did not advocate revolution.
 Rizal portrayed in his novels the miserable plight of the Filipino masses in an effort to
convince the Spanish authorities that there was an urgent reforms of society
 literally means “touch me not”. It sketches a wound painful even to the healer’s touch
causing more agony than relief.

 -Rizal did not advocate revolution. But while he spoke vehemently against it in his
novels.

The Characters…
 Ibarra-Simoun- the main protagonist in the Noli is Juan Crisostomo Ibarra y Magsalin,
first shown as well-mannered young man.- His maternal surname symbolizes the
“translated” Filipino. His grandfather is Don Saturnino, a conqueror of the soil; his father
was a well-loved Don Rafael, “one of the most honorable and honest men in the
Philippines. In Fili, Ibarra reappears as Simoun, an influential jeweler. His most striking
gesture was his long hair, completely white, which set off a black goatee and his huge
dark glasses. Sarcastically referred to as “Brown Cardinal” or “His Black Eminence”.
 Elias- Ibarra’s mysterious friend appears in and eux ex machina fashion every time Ibarra
is in trouble. His robust appearance is marked by great sad eyes and a stern mouth, long
unkempt black hair and a coarse dark shirt.
 Pilosopong Tasio- Don Anastacio, the scholar. Is the fool to the majority who are
apathetic to his unorthodox ideas. In the story he reacts coldly to Ibarra’s own plans for a
town school but offered sympathy and sensible advice.
 Maria Clara- Ibarra’s fiancée, daughter of Dona Pia Alba de los Santos and Father
Damaso. Don Santiago, Dona Pia’s husband always regarded her as his child. She was a
Caucasian beauty with a classic profile. Her hair was fair and her nose was well-shaped.
She had a winsome mouth with cheerful dimples, white onion-fine skin.
 Father Damaso Verdolagas- The former parish priest of San Diego, a Franciscan, is
easily the antihero in Noli. His classic features, penetrating look, heavy jaws, and
herculean build, gave him the appearance of a Roman patrician in disguise. He is
depicted as uncouth, bigoted, power-mad ingrate, the personification of depraved evil
among the friars. His love for his daughter seemed to be the only good in this Franciscan
priest.
The Undesirables… these are the characters that portray the pervading social cancer in
the novels of Rizal.
 Capitan Tiago was one of the richest property-owners in Binondo and
Pampanga.-“Santiago does not consider himself a native” Father Damaso remarked on
him. He was called Sacristan Tiago. He considers Maria Clara’s loss of a sweetheart
secondary only to his loss of money.
 Dona Victorina -is another native who tries to act more Spanish than the Spaniards. She
is almost illiterate and unintelligent.-she is married to Don Tiburciode Espadaňa
 Dona Pia Alba a prominent good-looking mestiza.
 Don Tiburcio de Espadaňa-is the Philippine Ulysses. The readers find him ridiculous
but serious parodies of the Filipino without identity, the Spaniards without dignity and
the absurdity of the Philippine society.
The Supporting Characters…
 Sisa - driven by her sufferings to insanity and her sons, ten-year-old Basilio who survives
the family travails and pursues a medical career and seven-year-old Crispin who becomes
a fatal target of the blows of the parish caretakers.
 Juli - Tano’s sister; beloved of Basilio; is the innocent and hardworking rustic who
sacrifices her honor and her life for her family and beloved.
 Rufa, Sipa and Juana- fanatic Tertiary sisters.
Expressions of the Nationalism Among the Characters…
-The principal character Ibarra elucidates Rizal’s political sentiment that Spain and Philippines
were two parts of one nation and that loyalty to one was loyalty to the other. One was patria
Grande and the other was patria Chica which is recognized today as nationalism and regionalism.
The Abuses of Religious Authorities…
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 -Rizal further depicts the corruption of the clergy in the characters of Father Damaso,
Salvi, Sibyla and Camorra. The friars were generally regarded as “the chief moral,
political, and civil authority in the town”.
 -the priests made the civil officials fear them. They controlled the acts of the ignorant
natives and threatened the indios.

 Father Damaso regarded the indios with contempt. He called them lazy, vicious and
ungrateful. He orders to stop teaching the Spanish language to his pupils.
 -Father Salvi secretly tries to foil Ibarra’s school project and Father Irene Sibyla and
Camorra argue strongly against petition for the establishment of the academy for Spanish
language.
Corruption in the Civil Government…
 the civil government perpetuated anomalies with its own defective organization which
was largely dependent on the authority of the friars.
 the majority of peninsular Spaniards sent to the Philippines resembled Tiburcio de
Espadana, the custom official who could not even speak Spanish correctly.
The Defective Educational System… there was no school building. The schoolmaster in the
Noli had to use a portion of the ground floor of the parish house as a schoolroom. Not much
learning was accomplished. The schoolmaster was limited by the curriculum prescribed by the
parish priest. Added to the prejudice against educating people is out of 200 children listed, only
25 came to class regularly.
Symbolism of Maria Clara and Sisa… -among the characters of Noli Me Tangere, two women,
Maria Clara and Sisa represent the enduring sacrifices of Filipino womanhood and the nation
itself.
 Maria Clara- the main female character of the noli, is portrayed by Rizal as the fruit of
an illicit love affair between the Spanish Franciscan friar, Father Damaso and a native
woman, Pia Alba. Symbolizes the unhappy state of the Philippines. Rizal injected
womanly qualities into the symbol that was Maria Clara. He molded her into something
like Leonor Rivera, his real life sweetheart. She is the image of the Philippines with her
virtues and inconsistencies.
 Sisa - once she must have been pretty and charming. Her eyes which like her character,
her sons were inherited were beautiful. Her complexion was what Tagalogs called
kayumangging kaligatan, a clear golden brown. Sisa is the Philippines. She represents the

Motherland as well as Rizal’s own motherland and all Filipino women.Sisa knows her
sons characteristics even the way they walked: Basilio, with strong sure steps; Crispin,
with light and irregular footballs.
To my Country- Rizal dedicated his first novel to his country

El Filibusterismo
 1891 – brought some happiness in the life of Rizal.
o He met the woman he wanted to marry.
o Saw the publication of his second novel El Filibusterismo.
 He concentrated his efforts and energy towards the completion of his second novel El
Filibusterismo, which he had started in Calamba in 1887.
 Ghent – a famous university city in Belgium
 Jose Alejandrino – his roommate lived in frugality. An engineering student from
Pampanga who later became a general during the Filipino-American War of 1899-1902.
 He found a publisher, F. Meyer Van Loo Press, located at 66 Viaanderen Street, which
gave him the lowest quotation and on installment basis
 Valentin Ventura – from Paris who learned of his financial difficulties and immediately
sent him the money
 The publication of the novel was resumed and was completed and came off the press on
September 18, 1891.
 GOMBURZA- Rizal dedicated his novel to these martyred priests
 There are facts in terms of age and dates that Zaide (1994) corrected in the dedication:
1. Execution of the three priests took place on February 17, not 28, 1872
2. Father Gomez was 73 years old, not 85
3. Father Burgos was 35 years old, not 30
4. Father Zamora was 37 years old, not 35
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 The original manuscript of the second novel consisting of 279 pages, with corrections
found over it, was bought by the Philippine

Government from Valentin Ventura for the sum of P10, 000 and is currently preserved in
the Filipiniana Division of the Bureau of Public Libraries.
 Two features of the novel which were not included in the printed copies
1. Foreword
2. Warning
Rizal second novel was entitled El Filibusterismo, which he had started writing in October 1887,
while practicing in Calamba.
The following year in London, he made some changes in the plot and corrected some chapters.
The last chapter of the second novel was finished in Biarritz, in the famous French Rivera, and
also at the time when he had a serious romance with Nelly Bousted in the 1890s.
Compared to the first novel, it is less romantic, less idealistic, more revolutionary and more open
of its feeling against the Motherland.
Most of the characters of the Fili are carried over from the Noli, although the names of some of
them were changed.
There was Doña Victorina, the pro Spanish woman and her henpecked husband, Tiburcio de
Espadaña, who had deserted her. Maria Clara also briefly made an appearance in El Fili
Father Salvi- The Franciscan friar and former cura of San Diego
Basilio- Son of Sisa, who is a medical student supported by Captain Tiago.
Father Sibyla-Vice Rector of the University of Santo Tomas

On the other hand, there are new characters in the novel:

Paulita Gomez - niece of Dona Victorina and sweetheart of Isagani who marries the more
affluent Juanito Pelaez.
Ben Zayb- A Spanish anti-Filipino journalist.
Father Camorra- The parish priest of the town of Tiani.
Don Costudio- A Filipino but pro-Spanish and holding a high position in the government
Father Irene- A kind priest and friendly to the Filipinos.
Father Florentino-A retired and scholarly patriotic Filipino priest.

Isagani- Poet nephew of Father Florentino and lover of Paulita.

Juanito Pelaez- The groom of Paulita
Chinese Quiroga- Who wanted very much to be a consul of Manila
Simoun/Crisostomo Ibarra- The main character of el filibusterismo
Analysis
People always look at the El Filibusterismo through the Noli Me Tangere. In terms of structure,
the former is shorter.
It has only 38 chapters, against those of the former which is 64 chapters.
Dr. Rafael Palma, Dr. Blumentritt and Graciano Lopez Jaena considered the Fili superior to
other, for its “easy and correct dialogue”, its clear phraseology, vigorous and elegant, as for its
profound ideas and sublime thought Lopez Jaena, however, was not contented with the ending of
the novel, and advised Rizal to do a third one to give a definite solution to what he referred to as
“the coining of the beautiful day of our redemption”.
Mariano Ponce, on the other hand claimed that Fili was more superior than the Noli when he
said: “It is indeed, excellent, I can say nothing of your book, but this, it is really marvelous, like
all the brilliant productions of your pen. It is a true twin of the Noli.”
Rizal Third Novel
From 1891 to 1892 Rizal profound a haven from prosecution in Hongkong where he set up
medical practice and was in practicing his English.
There is an undated manuscript, actually two chapters in Tagalog entitled “Makamisa”.
Makamisa said to be is not the title of the unfinished novel but simply it is only a single chapter
of an unfinished Tagalog novel.
For the past 50 years no one has even toyed with the idea that the “makamisa” could be the
beginning of Rizal’s third novel.
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Daroy and Prof. Esteban de Ocampo both authorities on Rizal, were surprised as they never seen
the manuscript of the Spaniard part of the “Makamisa”.
Vicente del Carmen of JRNCC knew about the existence manuscript of Makamisa.
JRNCC was tasked to publish Rizal complete writings and correspondence.

Makamisa
Padre Agaton (Father Agaton) - the parochial curate of the fictitious town of Tulig, described as
a cheerful, approachable and powerful man who loves the town and is not known for his bad
temper. In the story, he has a sudden, unexpected display of anger, the reason for which is yet to
be revealed.
Kapitán Lucas (Town Captain Lucas) - the gobernadorcillo of Tulig and is in danger of losing
his government position if he does not please Padre Agaton on the upcoming Easter fiesta.
Aleng Anday (Miss Anday) - female friend of Padre Agaton and the only person whom the
curate loves. She is an extremely disciplined woman whom everybody admires for her generosity
Hanna Malonzo - Manila-raised daughter of Kapitán Lucas, who returned to Tulig for her aunt's
funeral
Tenyente Tato (Lieutenant Tato) - lieutenant-general of the Guardia Civil
Don Segundo - the juez de paz or justice of the peace of Tulig.
Kapitán Tibo - next-in-line to the gobernadorcillo office.

Rizal’s writings formed an integral part of his political and social thinking.
Rizal’s letter to Mariano Ponce
 Brindis, a speech honoring the award-winning painters.- June 25 1884- Luna and
Resurreccion Hidalgo
 The annotations to morga’ssucesos de las Islas Filipinas ( Chapter 2)
 Constitution of La Liga Filipina (chapter 2)
 The propose agreement between the British North Borneo Company and the Filipino
colony, and “Colonization of British North Borneo by Families from the Philippine
Islands” (translated from French), April 1892;
 Datospara mi defense (“data for my Defenses”)
 Adiciones a mi defense (“addition to my Defenses”)
 [Manifiesto] Algunos Filipinos (“Manifesto to some Filipino”) - December 1896.

Rizal’s translation Includes:

 Despues de Misa,
 Amlificacion a mi mapa dela isla Mindanaw por el Sr Don Blumentritt (1895),
 Cinco Cuentos de Andersen,
 El Cuento de la Tortuga Y El Mono de H Hern, tinipung Karunungan ng mga taga Rhin-
hebel(1876-1877),
 Guillermo Tell (schiller, 1886),
 Ang mga karapatan ng mga tawo (1891-1892) and
 Colonization of British North Borneo by Families from the Philippine Islands.
The notes and drafts of Rizal record his numerous interest:
 Los Pueblos del Archipielago Indico,
 Melanesia-malasia-polinesia,
 Manila en mes de Diciembre de 1872,
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 Contrato de Sociedad entre Rizal y Ramon Carreon para Construir un Calero (Dapitan, 14
May 1893),
 La Sibila Cumana (1894),
 Notas Sobre Conquilliologia e Ictiologia (a list of shells encounterd by Rizal, 1894 –
1895),
 La Curacion de los Hechizados (15 November 1895),
 Apuntessobre la Gramatica Francesca,
 NotasClinicas,
 Prescripciones Medicaspara el ciego de Cebu : toz, Avesta : Vendidad (1884-1885),
 Notas de Rizal sobre al Maremagnum del P Jose Burgos (26 June 1887),
 Informe (1888),
 Ma-yi (6 December 1888)
 Acera de tawalisi de Ybn Batuta (7 January 1889).
 Sobre los suceso de calamba (1890-1891)
 Historia de la Familiarizal de Calamba,
 Estatutos de la Sociedad de Agricultoresdapitanos (1 January 1895),
 La Politica Colonial en Filipinas, elogio de Blumentritt (7 July 1887)
 and una Contestacion a Don Isabelo de los Reyes (31 October 1890).

A good number of prose works were initially published during the period of Rizal’s
agitation for reform. Among this were:
 Unaprofanastion (La Solidaridad, I, 31 July 1889)
 Ensanamiento (Sol, I, 15 November 1889)
 Inconsecuencias (SOL, I, 30 November 1889)
 Llanto y Risas (Sol, I, 30 November 1889)
 Sin Nombre (Sol, II, 28 February 1890)
 Filipinas en el Congreso (Sol, II, 31 March 1890)
 Venganzas Cobardes(Sol, 31 August 1890)

The essays of Rizal elucidate his perspective philosophy and his keen sense of awareness. “Your
mission is to baptize the healthen,” Rizal told Father Sanchez “But mine is to make men worthy”
El Amor Patrio
“The love of country” – Rizal’s first essay, was written when he was 21 and newly arrived from
Madrid. It was published under the name of “Laong Laan” on 20 August 1882 in diariong
Tagalog, a Philippine newspaper, then on 31 October 1890 in La Solidaridad
This idea of dying for the country reverberated in Rizal’s writings, in letter to Mariano Ponce.
Sa Mga Kababayang Dalaga Sa Malolos
A group of young women in Malolos had been denied permission by the parish priest to have
lessons in Spanish from a tutor they would pay.
There were 21 women who petitioned.
To the Women of Malolos” was originally written in Tagalog. Rizal penned this writing when
he was in London, in response to the request of Marcelo H. del Pilar. The salient points
contained in this letter are as follows:
1The rejection of the spiritual authority of the friars – not all of the priests in the country that
time embodied the true spirit of Christ and His Church. Most of them were corrupted by worldly
desires and used worldly methods to effect change and force discipline among the people.
2 The defense of private judgment
3 Qualities Filipino mothers need to possess – as evidenced by this portion of his letter, Rizal is
greatly concerned of the welfare of the Filipino children and the homes they grow up in.

4 Duties and responsibilities of Filipino mothers to their children

5 Duties and responsibilities of a wife to her husband – Filipino women are known to be
submissive, tender, and loving. Rizal states in this portion of his letter how Filipino women
ought to be as wives, in order to preserve the identity of the race.
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6 Counsel to young women on their choice of a lifetime partner

Rizal’s Message to Filipino Women
Jose Rizal was greatly impressed by the fighting spirit that the young women of Malolos had
shown. In his letter, he expresses great joy and satisfaction over the battle they had fought. In
this portion of Rizal’s letter, it is obvious that his ultimate desire was for women to be offered
the same opportunities as those received by men in terms of education. During those days young
girls were not sent to school because of the universal notion that they would soon only be taken
as wives and stay at home with the children. Rizal, however, emphasizes on freedom of thought
and the right to education, which must be granted to both boys and girls alike.
The Responsibilities of Filipino Mothers to Their Children
Rizal stipulates a number of important points in this portion of his letter to the young women of
Malolos. The central idea here, however, is that whatever a mother shows to her children is what
the children will become also. If the mother is always kissing the hand of the friars in
submission, then her children will grow up to be sycophants and mindless fools who do nothing
but do as they are told, even if the very nature of the task would violate their rights as individuals
Qualities Mothers have to Possess
Rizal enumerates the qualities Filipino mothers have to possess:
Be a noble wife.
Rear her children in the service of the state – here Rizal gives reference to the women of Sparta
who embody this quality
Set standards of behavior for men around her.
Rizal’s Advice to Unmarried Men and Women
Jose Rizal points out to unmarried women that they should not be easily taken by appearances
and looks, because these can be very deceiving. Instead, they should take heed of men’s
firmness of character and lofty ideas. Rizal further adds that there are

three things that a young woman must look for a man she intends to be her husband:
A noble and honored name
A manly heart
A high spirit incapable of being satisfied with engendering slaves.

Rizal’s letters
Dr. Lorenzo P. Marquez- A Portuguese physician who became his friend and admirer, helped
him to build up a wide clientele
On June 20, 1892 Rizal wrote two beautiful letters packed with fate, one to his family the other
to his countrymen. He sealed them and, on the envelope of each wrote: “To be opened after my
death”. These letters he left with his friend Dr. Lorenzo Marquez of Macao.
Hong Kong, 20 June 1892
To my dear parents, brothers, sisters:- first letter of Rizal was addressed to them

The second letter was addressed: -To the Filipinos:

Sobre La Indolencia De Los Filipinos

The Indolence of the Filipino is the longest of Rizal essays that was first published in 5
installments in La Solidaridad from July 15 to Sept. 15, 1890. The essay was an insight into and
a stimulating analysis of the people’s laziness, symptom of a country’s indifference to its ills,
Filipinas Dentro De Cien Anos
Rizal analyzed the past to show its relevance to the present in “indolence.” He envisioned the
future in “The Philippines Within a Century.” The essay came out as series of four articles in La
Solidaridad on 30 September 1889, 31 October 1889, 15 December 1889 and 1 February 1890.
The essay was no mere speculation nor a baseless attempt at “political forecasting” .
Given a century, Rizal said, which was a reasonable amount of time for matters to develop, what
would become of the Philippines? Would it stay as a colony of Spain? Would it become a
province of Spain? Would it become an independent nation? Or would it be a colony of another
nation? To arrive at a logical conclusion, one needed to review events in the history of the
country and examine contemporary conditions.
The insults were nursed in silence but there was an increasing agitation from all quarters.
“Duties, taxes and contributions
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increase without any corresponding increase in rights, privileges, and liberties, or an assurance of
the continuation of the few existing ones.”
The country “is going through a great financial crisis, and everybody points with their fingers to
the person who are causing the evil, and yet no one dares to lay their hands on them” .As a result
of these abuses and the accumulation of grievances, there were sporadic but unsuccessful
attempts at revolt:
None of the insurrections was popular in character nor base on the necessity of the whole nation
nor did it struggle for the laws of humanity or of justice. Thus, the insurrections did not leave
behind them indelible mementos; on the contrary, the people, their wounds healed, realizing that
they leave have been deceived, applauded the downfall of those who had disturbed their peace!
But, if the movement springs from the people themselves and adopts for its cause their
sufferings?
All attempts in the past to keep the people in the dark had failed. There was a growing national
consciousness:
Today there is a factor which did not exist before. The national spirit has awakened, and a
common misfortune and a common abasement have united all the inhabitants of the Islands. It
counts on a large enlightened class within and without the Archipelago, a class created and
augmented more and more by the stupidities of certain rulers who compel the inhabitants to
expatriate themselves, to seek education abroad—a class that perseveres and struggles, thanks to
the official provocations and the system of persecution. This class whose number is increasing
progressively is constant communication with the rest of the Islands, and if today it constitutes
the brains of the country, within a few years it will constitute its entire nervous system and
demonstrate its existence in all its acts.
Unconsciously, they were moving toward the possibility of receiving Spanish citizenship with all
its political rights. This is shown, for instance, in their prevalent attitude to education:
Today we see the humblest families make enormous sacrifices so that their children can obtain a
little education, even going to the extent of letting them become servants in order to learn
Spanish at least … If the Filipino is sufficiently intelligent to pay taxes, he should also be so to
elect a

representative who can watch over him and his interests with the product of which he serves the
government of the country.
The Town School in The Philippines
Rizal demonstrated that the actual condition of the school was remote from those prescribed in
the Educational Reform Decree of 1863. The teacher would be graduate of the Normal School, a
retired directorcillo, a clerk, or even the best student of the previous class with a monthly salary
ranging from P12.00 to P25.00 .The children of well-to-do families were required to pay a quota
of one peso. The teacher supplemented his meager salary with sale of ruled paper, pens, and
books.
Brindis (A Toast of Luna and Hidalgo)
Luna and Hidalgo served as inspirations for Rizal’s memorable speech (brindis).
Luna had won a gold medal for “Spolarium” and Hidalgo had won a silver medal for “Virgins
Exposed to the Populace” at the art exhibit in Madrid .
Behind Rizal’s Speech
Political appeal disguised as toast
Appeal for Equality and Brotherhood between Spaniards and Indios
Philippines were under the oppression by the Spanish friars, Rizal tells the reason why they are
gathered and to signify an achievement that had shed light into what has turned out to be dark
society as the painting shows
What: toast/ few words of congratulations
Where: Restaurant Inglés, Madrid
When: June 25, 1884; evening
Why: To honor Juan Luna and Félix Resurección Hidalgo
The Spoliarium- Won Gold medal
Through the canvas which:
-is not mute
-one hears the noise of the crowd
-the metallic clanking of the dead bodies armor
-the sobbing of the orphans
-the murmured prayers
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-shadows
Contrasts
-dying light
-the mystery of the honor
-as resonance of the dark tempest of the Tropics
-the lightning and the roaring explosions of its volcanoes
The Christian Virgins Exposed to Populace- Won Silver medal
-beats the purest sentiment
-ideal expression of mournfulness

-vulnerability
-victims of brute force
-purity
-as Filipina is in her moonlit nights, in her quiet days
-with her horizon that invites to meditation
-cradle gently rocking the infinite
Similarities of the 2 paintings
-Humanity Subjected to Severe Tests
-Unredeemed Humanity
-Fanaticism
-Injustice
Sucesos De Las Islas Filipinas
Antonio de Morga Sánchez Garay (1559 – July 21, 1636)- Spanish lawyer and a high-ranking
colonial official
 Doctorate of Canon and Civil Law
 Historian, Anthropologist and Explorer
 Author of Sucesos De Las Islas Filipinas
 His history is valuable in that Morga had access to the survivors of the earliest days of the
colony and he, himself, participated in many of the accounts that he rendered.
 Morga's fame (or infamy depending on which account you are reading) came in 1600,
when he was put in charge of the Spanish fleet against a Dutch invasion under Olivier
van Noort.
 A particularly malicious biographical note on Morga is provided by W.E. Retana. In his
entry on the Sucesos, Retana cites a domestic scandal to comment on Morga's character.
Briefly, Juliana, Morga's eldest daughter, was discovered in 1602 to be in love with a
man of a lower social standing, a soldier from Mexico. Morga and his wife first tried to
discourage the relationship by beating up Juliana, shaving her hair, and finally locking
her up in the house. Yet Juliana managed to escape from her parent's house by tying bed
sheets together, and lowering herself from her bedroom window to the street. When
Morga discovered that his daughter had eloped, he brought in the governor general
himself to persuade Juliana from marriage. They were all unsuccessful. Juliana silenced
parental opposition by threatening to commit social suicide by marrying a negro if she
was not allowed to marry

her lover! Morga never spoke to his daughter again, and left her in Manila when he
moved to Mexico.
From Mexico, Morga was moved to Quito in 1615 where he was president of the
Audiencia. Again, Morga found himself in trouble, and in 1625 was investigated for
corruption and eventually found guilty. However, he escaped humiliation, and the
gallows, by dying in 1636, before the case was wound up.
 The book (Sucesos...) narrates the history of wars, intrigues, diplomacy and
evangelization of the Philippines in a somewhat disjointed way.
 Modern historians (including Rizal) have noted that Morga has a definite bias and would
often distort facts or even rely on invention to fit his defense of the Spanish conquest.
 First Lay Informal Historical Account of the Philippines
 Early history of the Spanish colonization of the Philippines polished in Mexico in 1609.
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 Annotated by Jose Rizal with a prologue by Dr. Ferdinand Blumentritt.

 His history is valuable in that Morga had access to the survivors of the earliest days of the
colony and he, himself, participated in many of the accounts that he rendered.
 One of the most important works on the early history of the Spanish colonization of the
Philippines.
Morga’s purpose for Writing Sucesos
Morga began his work, Sucesos de las islas Filipinas, it is claimed, as a way of saving face after
the disaster with the Dutch invaders in Manila in 1600. Hence, it is Morga's version of the battle
of Manila Bay left to history.
The work consists of eight chapters:
1. Of the first discoveries of the Eastern islands.
2. Of the government of Dr. Francisco de Sande
3. Of the government of don Gonzalo Ronquillo de Penalosa
4. Of the government of Dr. Santiago de Vera.
5. Of the government of Gomes Perez Dasmarinas.
6. Of the government of don Francisco Tello

7. Of the government of don Pedro de Acuňa

8. An account of the Philippine Islands.
The first seven chapters mainly concern the political events which occurred in the colony during
the terms of the first eleven governors-general in the Philippines, beginning with Miguel Lopez
de Legaspi in 1565 to Pedro de Acuňa who died in June 1606.
For present-day Filipinos chapter eight is the most interesting, because it gives a description of
the pre-Hispanic Filipinos, or rather the indios, at the Spanish contact. This same chapter was
indispensable for Rizal, not only for its ethnographic value but more to help him reconstruct the
pre-Hispanic Philippines which Rizal wanted to present to his countrymen
The original Spanish text of 1609 had never been printed in full.
Rizal’s edition came off the press of Garnier Hermanos in Paris in 1889.
Reissued in photo-offset reproduction in 1958.
Armed with a letter of introduction from the Director of the India Office Library, Reinhold Rost,
he applied for and was granted a reader's pass to the British Museum, where he began to consult
early printed materials on the Philippines. Close to 18 August 1888, Rizal was copying out, by
hand, the entire first edition of Morga's Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, annotating it along the
way, confident that Antonio Regidor, a wealthy countryman, in exile in London following the
Cavite Mutiny of 1872, would publish the work when completed.
The concrete result of four months of intense historical research in Bloomsbury was Rizal's
second book with a typically long Spanish title, Sucesos de Las Islas Filipinas por el Doctor
Antonio de Morga. (Events in the Philippine Islands by Dr. Antonio de Morga. A work
published in Mexico in the year 1609, reprinted
and annotated by Jose Rizal and preceded by an introduction by professor Ferdinand
Blumentritt).
Rizal’s First consideration for the choice of Morga
1. The original book was rare
2. Morga is a layman not a religious chronicler.

3. Rizal felt Morga to be more “objective”. (Than the religious writers who included many
miracle stories.)
Second consideration for the choice Morga
It was the only civil, as opposed to religious or ecclesiastical, history of the Philippines written
during the colonial period.
Rizal wants to write an edition of Morga, for there was no history that was written by an Indio,
or one written from the viewpoint of the Indio.
Third consideration for the choice of Morga
It was more objective, rather than liberally with tales of miracle, devils and apparitions written
by the religious missionaries.
These are two categories in Rizal’s annotation
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1. Rizal corrects the original one. “The straight forward historical annotations”
2. “Historical based reflect his anticlerical bias”
Fourth consideration for the choice of Morga
For Rizal, Morga was sympathetic to the Indios because it contrasts the friar’s point of view in
which the Philippine histories must only written by a foreigner not by an Indio.
Rizal wrote a letter for Blumentritt to express his preference for Morga.
Importance of Rizal's Annotation:
To create a sense of national consciousness or identity.
Two defects of Rizal's scholarship which have been condemned
A historical use of hindsight
A strong anticlerical bias.
Beside the Pasig
Junto Al Pasig (Beside the Pasig)
A one act zarzuela in Spanish written by the Philippine national hero.
Jose Rizal, was staged by the academy of Spanish Literature members on December 8, 1880
Rizal wrote it to honor “Nuestra Senora dela Paz y Buenviaje” (Our Lady of Peace and Good
Voyage)
Even when Rizal already graduated from the Ateneo, and while he is already studying medicine
in the University of Santo Tomas (U.S.T) he remained close to Jesuits. As president of the
Academy of Spanish Literature and through his skills in writing he was asked to contribute to the
celebration of the feast of Immaculate Conception, the college’s patroness

From there, he wrote “Juan al Pasig” and it was staged during 1880’s feast. A Spanish professor,
Blad Echegoyen, wrote the music for the choruses while the members of the academy played the
following characters:
Leonido- Isidro Perez
Candido- Antoni Fuentes
Pascual- Aquiles R. de Luzulaga
Satan- Julio Llorente
An Angel-Pedro Carranceja
Theme
The play’s theme revolves on Christianity, innocence against evil, and paganism
Observance of the virgin’s feast
During the Rizal’s time, the townsfolk were used to carry the image of the virgin of Antipolo
during a solemn procession through the Pasig River.

The Other Essays

 “She is no longer the Pearl of Orient”
 Filipinas Desgraciada (“Unfortunate Philippines” 1882):
 Pensamientos de Un Filipino
(“Reflections of a Filipino” 1884)
 Como se Engaňa la Patria
(“How to Deceive the Motherland” 1889)
 “Let Us Be Just”
 “Philippine Affairs”
 Mas sobre el asunto de negros (“More on the Negros Affair”)
 La Verdad para Todos
(“Truth for All”)
 Una Esperanza (“A Hope,”) Rizal’s optimism was shown.
 In Verdades Nuevas (“New Truths”) Rizal’s rebuttal to writer Vicente Belloc Sanchez
who believed that the introduction of reforms would weaken the Spanish power in the
Philippines.

Researchers and compilers of other works of Rizal reveal untitled pieces designated by
their publishers:
 “The Lord Gazes at the Philippines”
 “The Ancient Tagalog Nobility”
 “The Tortoise and the Monkey”
Incomplete Manuscripts:
 12

 “Suan’s Animals”
 “Reminiscences of a Cock”
 “Pompous Gobernadorcillo”
 “The Sense of the Beautiful”

Researchers have also turned up with his paragraph on social unity:

 “Two Brothers”
 “A Freethinker” (sardonic short piece)
His literary acumen and imagination are conveyed in La Solidaridad articles:
 “On Travel”
 “Revista de Madrid ”
 “Memories”
 “The Vision of Father Rodriguez”
 “By the Telephone ”
He produced a medley in the French language:
 “The Significance of Palm Sunday”
 “Marie Colombiere: the Pistol of the Little Baroness”
 “The Kite and the Hen”
 “A Soiree at the Home of Mr B”
 “Alphonse Daudet: Tartar in Surles Alpes”
 “The Fisherwoman and The Fish”
 “Essay on Pierre Corneille”
 “Unter den Linden”
The grandiloquence of Rizal in his “Farewell to 1883” speech at the Café de Madrid moved the
heart of each man:

PART II: POEMS

Among the poems he wrote, in 1875 were the following :
Felicitacion (Felicitation)
El Embarque Himno a la Flota de Magallanes (The Departure: Hymn to Magellan’s Fleet)
Y Es español: Elcano, el Primero en dar la Vuelta al Mundo (And He Is Spanish Elcano, the First
to Circumnavigate the World)
El Combate: Urbiztondo, terror de Jolo (The Battle: Urbiztondo, Terror of Jolo)
In 1876, he wrote other poems on various topics. Among these are :
Un Recuerdo a Mi Pueblo (In Memory of my Town) – which was also another tnder poem about
the town where he was born.
El Cuativerio y el Triunfo: Batalla de Lucena y Prisioni de Boabdil (The captivity and Triumph:
Battle of Lucena and the Imprisonment of Boabdil) – this martial poem describes the defeat and
capture of Boabdil, last Moorish sultan of Granada.

The following year of 1887 also showed a lot of poetry that were written by him:
1. El Heroismode Colon ( The Heroism of Columbus ). –this poem praises Columbus for his
adventurous spirit and his success as an explorer.
2. Colon y Juan II ( Columbus and John II ). – this poem relates how the king of Portugal, John II
missed famed and riches by his failure to finance the expedition of Columbus to the new World.
3. Gran Consuelo en la Mayor Desdicha ( A Farewell Dialogue by the Students ).- this is a
virtual farewell poem of Rizal written during his last days in Ateneo.
 13

* 1879- he wrote a poem entitled “Abd-el-Azis Mahoma” which was declaimed by Manuel
Fernandez, an Atenean on the occasion of the Ateneo’s patroness.
*1880 (same year)- he wrote a sonnet entitled “A Filipinas” for the Album of the Society of
Sculptures.
*1881- he composed a poem entitled “Al M.R.P. Pablo Ramon” The Ateneo rector whom he
considered a very good and helpful friend.
*”Amor Patrio” ( Love of Country )-which is described as a nationalistic essay wherein a pen
name Laong Laan was used. This article was published in two texts, one in Tagalog and one in
Spanish.
*August 20, 1882- the Diariong Tagalog appeared.
*Marcelo H. Del Pilar- he translate the tagalog version of “Amor Patrio”.

The article caused sensation because of its nationalistic nature. In this article, Rizal wrote to
enjoin his compatriots to love their country and to serve its interests.